When the first crop of seniors at Democracy Prep Charter High School graduates next June, they won’t be alone. The founder of the school’s network of charter schools will be exiting alongside them.

Seth Andrew, the founder and superintendent of the six-school network, has spent the last week making hundreds of phone calls to friends and professional contacts to let them know that he will be stepping down in June, seven years after launching a middle school steeped in civic values.

Andrew’s decision comes weeks after the U.S. Department of Education announced that Democracy Prep Public Schools would be one of two charter school networks to get federal funding to expand. Democracy Prep will get $9.1 million over five years to open 15 new schools in Harlem; Camden, N.J.; and potentially beyond.

Andrew said the award made him confident that he could depart without destabilizing Democracy Prep — and relieved that the network would be able to grow using only public funds, a value to the network.

“The organization is incredibly healthy,” he said today, speaking by phone from Boston, where he had been meeting with Building Excellent Schools, the nonprofit that helped him start up his first school a decade ago. “This is the time to do a transition.”

Andrew opened his flagship middle school, Democracy Prep Charter School, in 2006 with a $30,000 grant from the city’s Center for Charter School Excellence (now named the New York City Charter School Center). He expanded to a high school in 2009 to accommodate his graduating eighth-graders and has since opened three more middle schools.

Last year, Andrew was granted permission to acquire a charter to run a failing elementary school, Harlem Day Charter School. Mayor Bloomberg declared the takeover a success last spring, in the process comparing Andrew to Jeremy Lin, a basketball player who was then on a streak with the Knicks.

Accelerating its expansion plans doesn’t mean that Democracy Prep is giving up on the idea of taking over struggling schools, Andrew said. The network’s application for the federal grant explicitly asked for permission to create new schools and take over existing ones, he said, adding that conversations are underway in the city and elsewhere about both strategies.

Andrew will help engineer the first round of new schools because he will continue to run Democracy Prep until the end of the school year while the school’s board searches for his replacement. Using the consulting firm Bellwether Education Partners for support, the board members will look across the country and at “some very strong internal candidates,” he said today, hours before sending a mass email announcing his impending departure.

A graduate of the Bronx High School of Science who taught briefly in Massachusetts and Korea early in his career, Andrew said he doesn’t know what he will be doing a year from now — only that he will still be running his fledgling parent advocacy group, Democracy Builders, and working toward the same goal that motivated him to start Democracy Prep.

“My life’s work is truly high quality education for every child in the world,” he said. “I am considering everything and there are certainly lots of different ways and different places to make impact.”

But he said there are two areas of education policy that he thinks need particular attention right now. The first is the “talent pipeline” that brings teachers and principals to schools. Too often, he said, policy makers have focused on rules about firing bad teachers, when they should be thinking more about how to recruit and create great ones.

“There’s no way to get rid of teachers and just think that fixes schools,” Andrew said.

The other is the concept that Neerav Kingsland, a New Orleans charter school advocate, calls “relinquishment.” Rather than centralize control, Kingsland argues, superintendents should let families and schools make decisions for themselves, while still holding schools accountable for their performance.

“I’m interested in being disruptive and trying to push new boundaries in those fields,” Andrew said today.

Within the city’s guarded charter school sector, Andrew stands out for more than his ubiquitous yellow Democracy Prep hat. He and Democracy Prep’s board made a decision to tie his salary to the Department of Education’s salary structure for a similar position, even as some charter school operators earned salaries twice as high. They also avoided allowing the network’s schools to become dependent on private fundraising, an essential support for some charter schools.

And while he eagerly touts his schools’ academic accomplishments, he sometimes sounds even more excited about their civic engagement. He required students to attend and participate in civic events, and sent them out to canvass the Harlem community to vote on Election Day. Four Democracy Prep students attended the Democratic National Convention with him last month.

“I have great respect for the work he’s done in Harlem and the civic engagement he’s instilled in every Democracy Prep student,” said Mona Davids, a former charter school parent who has been a vocal critic of some charter school practices. She said Andrew was among the first charter leaders she met when she started a charter school parent advocacy group in 2009.

Davids said she regularly fought with Andrew because she said he refused to start a parent association at the school. “We just agree to disagree on that.”

After drawing the spotlight to himself this week, Andrew said he hopes attention will soon shift to the network of schools he has spent developing for the better part of his career so far.

He added, “Democracy Prep should not be about me, it should be about vision and implementation. Right now Democracy Prep and Seth are kind of synonymous, and that’s an unhealthy thing.”

Philissa Cramer is managing editor of Chalkbeat New York. She founded GothamSchools, Chalkbeat New York's predecessor, in September 2008 and previously launched Insideschools’ first news blog. At Insideschools, she also visited and reviewed schools all over New York City and contributed to the third edition of New York City’s Best Public High Schools. Philissa has also written about education issues for the Village Voice, the Nation, and the New Republic. She studied the history and policy of education at Brown University, where she was an editor of the Brown Daily Herald student newspaper.

COMMENTS

Hey Seth: When you are done with running your charter school in June, how about you get back into the classroom for a change? (That is if you really want to make a difference)

LBRide

Hi Joe, Seth is currently in the classroom. He teaches a course at the high school. As a family member of Democracy Prep, I am so proud of the work Seth has done and am inspired by his decision to graduate with his first class of scholars.

Proud DP momma

As a Democracy Prep Parent I’m so happy for Mr. Andrew. He has taught our children as a teacher, a principal, a superintendent, and a mentor. We will miss him very much, but we know he’s really putting action to his words when he says we need to change the world. God Bless you Mr. Andrew and thank you for all you have done for my baby and all the other democracy prep Scholars and parents. good luck!

Guest

There will always be soldiers (teachers) and generals (administrators). I have choosen to be a soldier and although I have had many people during my 15 year career tell me I should get into administration, I thank them for the compliment and tell them that it is not for me. I certainly agree with you that it is in the classroom with the doors shut that the biggest differences occur. I don’t know Seth, but he choose the administration part of the job (starting the Charter and running it) and I cannot look at him negatively if I don’t know the man. There are many things I do not like about charters – believe me I’ve been “around the block” a few times and know full well what is happening. Thomas Jefferson said sometime along the lines of every general should once again be a soldier if called on. I would hope all administrators not just the man this post is about remembers that. Unfortunately most do not. To his credit if LBride is being honest it looks as if he does enter the classroom. Hopefully is honest and assesses himself the same way he would the teachers who do it for the full day.

DP Parent

Jeez, as usual, the haters like Joe D. have to be toxic. Mr. Andrew has done an amazing job educating our children. This is why we are the #1 charter in NYC, unlike the UFT run charter school that is failing and destroying the future of those children. Thank you Mr. Andrew for all you have done for our children and for all you will do to support them in college and beyond.

Best Wishes Mr. Andrew

Woah! Big news. Who will wear the yellow hat? Andrew has been one of the rare fighters for great public schools since the charter deform movement started. I’m not a fan of privatization, but what Andrew and Democracy Prep show is that you can be a charter school and actually care about the kids you serve and not the salary you make or the profits you reap. This is a big loss to rational debate in the charter sector. I wonder if Eva, Deborah, Geoff, or the other edu-lebrities with all their books, tv interviews, and compensation packages will realize the profound wisdom in Andrew’s last line…

Joe D.

Please note: I am glad that Seth had the opportunity to make many parents and students excited about the learning process. However, as the article mentions, he only “briefly taught” at the start of his career and has no idea what he will be doing next year. I think that he might be thinking that running a school (charter or otherwise) might not be his life’s calling. Going back to the classroom where the real magic of education takes place may allow him to fulfill his desire to make a difference continue on a day to day basis. If not, I wish him the best of luck with his decisions.

school leader in the Bronx

Seth has been an inspiration to all of us newer charter school founders and leaders. It’s hard to think of the NY charter scene without him, but I guess that’s part of his point. He spoke truth to power when the DOE was being bureaucratic and stupid and he fought for his kids and his schools with the PEP, CEC, UFT and anyone else that got in his way. Thanks the path you’ve blazed and eager to see what sparks you set off next!

Educating citizens

After watching the VPdebate, I’m reminded how important Democracy Prep is to our city and to our nation. Even at good schools, too many kids grow up to be civically illiterate and unable to evaluate critically a good debate like this one. Keep up the great work Democracy Prep and let’s hope that many public and charter schools take up your best practices and follow your lead.

Revolutionary ideas

My thoughts:1) I just read his whole letter, he actually IS teaching a class. Joe D, you should ask to visit.
2) perhaps the most amazing thing is that Democracy Prep runs on public funds alone. very impressive.
3) this idea of relinquishment is interesting.
4) I’m glad to hear him say he doesn’t think you can fire your way to good schools
5) I can’t believe that a school called Democracy Prep wouldn’t have a PTA? I have to assume that’s not true.
6) The idea that Andrew realizes that the school shouldn’t be all about him is perhaps the most revolutionary idea of all.

kudos.

Diane

A loss to the kids at Democracy Prep but a big win for whatever he does next to improve our schools. very impressive legacy for a young guy

leoniehaimson

What’s the reason for refusing to allow at PTA at the school? Especially for one that calls for more civic engagement?

Seth Andrew

Hi Leonie, actually all Democracy Prep schools have a “PA” it’s called the “Family Leadership Council” and it is a great way for our families to get engaged. What Mona and I disagree on is whether the format and style should be REQUIRED by law in the way that they are now. I think these decisions are best left up to schools, parents, and principals not the state legislature or the chancellor! Come visit again any time! Be well.

Dpteach

Having watched our scholars and our schools growing up over the last several years, I would be heartbroken that Seth Andrew is leaving, if I wasn’t so sure that he’ll ALWAYS be on the frontlines fighting for our scholars, us teachers, and great schools nationwide. Oh and a shout-out to our AMAZING PARENTS on the Family Leadership Council. They spend so many hours supporting their children and our work. They may not use the title PTA, but I have never seen parents more ENGAGED–whether supporting our arts and theater programs or ADVOCATING for our schools in the community. Parents, Teachers, Scholars, Administration, Staff–Democracy Prep is a strong family and we will continue to be because of the foundation built by Seth.

Thanks for the Inspiration!

I founded a school in California based on the inspiration of Democracy Prep and the other great schools around the country that are closing the achievement gap. We have a long way to go, but it’s always good to know that there are those who have blazed the trail before us. Best of luck Seth!